Man Sued Manufacturer Of Seatbelt He Was Thrown From Truck In Crash

From the May 28, 2001 Missouri Lawyers Weekly.

Plaintiff, 53, sued a seat belt manufacturer after he was thrown from his truck during an accident.

Plaintiff worked for Star Transport as a truck driver. In December 1995, he was driving a 1994 Mack truck north on Route M at its intersection with Highway 96 in Lawrence County when the truck skidded across the highway and into a field. During the collision, Plaintiff’s seat belt unlatched and he was thrown from the truck. He suffered a rupture of his prostatomebranous uretha with complete separation, a pelvic sacral fracture, pubic symphysis diaphesis, tranverse process fractures of the C2 and C3 vertebrae, extensive loss of skin, muscle and soft tissue, bladder contusion, pelvic hematoma and an altered gait.

Plaintiff claimed the seat belt, which was manufactured by Indiana Mills & Manufacturing, Inc., was defective because it unlatched when reasonably foreseeable forces were applied.

Type of Action: Products Liability
Type of Injuries: Ruptured Urethra, Pelvic sacral fracture, fractures of the C2 and C3 vertebrae and extensive loss of skin, muscle and soft tissue, bladder contusion, pelvic hematoma and altered gait
Verdict or Settlement: $2 million verdict
Allocation of Fault: 100 percent to defendant
Last Offer: $250,000
Last Demand: $500,000
Attorney for Plaintiff: Steve Garner, The Strong-Garner-Bauer, Springfield